A Pathfinder's Struggle
by Alexis Shepard
Summary: Sara Ryder never thought colonizing a new galaxy could be so difficult. Will she be able to create a new home for the Milky Way races while keeping her head out of the gutter and her heart safe?


There was no way to describe what Sara felt. First contact with a new alien species had gone extremely well compared to the first day humanity arrived in Andromeda. It had been a harrowing number of months. When the Hyperion arrived on the Nexus, none of the other arcs had arrived yet. With no Pathfinders, the station fell to a revolt that led to many species being exiled into the uncharted worlds. News of Alec Ryder's death didn't help the situation, but Sara was the only one who could help.

Unfortunately, the job description hadn't included "turning on ancient alien technology that makes planets viable" in the Andromeda Initiative brochure. Sara was nothing if not inventive, however. She wasn't her father, but she knew she had to help, for the sake of all the races. They didn't cross onto another galaxy just to die in the unknown.

Something else that wasn't included in the brochures was the amount of emails she would have to go through. Everyone and their mother needed help in Andromeda. As the only Pathfinder, it was up to Sara to deal with everything. Just when she was done going through them, her terminal would ping with the arrival of a new one. She learned to read those of her crew first, if only to learn more about the people under her command.

Her terminal pinged. A frown formed on Sara before opening the email.

 _Subject: Do you have time?  
Sender: Suvi Anwar_

Just like that, her mood took a full turn. She hadn't expected an email from Suvi. The Tempest's scientist was wonderful. Suvi quickly gained Sara's attention with her intelligence and view on evolution and creationism. Sara had never met anyone who could agree with both, intertwining them so they made sense. The Pathfinder wasn't religious, but she admired Suvi's philosophy and made her think much about life.

 _Ryder,_

 _I know you're probably busy, but I also know you could use a break. Can I stop by your cabin? I could help with your work, maybe._

 _Suvi_

Sara couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips. After a quick reply, Sara stood, walking over to a small mirror next to her closet. Her bright, brown eyes stared into her reflection, toying with loose strands of equally brown hair. In her own mind, Sara found herself strikingly average. It wasn't unusual for the majority of humanity to be brunettes, having lost the blonde gene decades ago. The only thing that really stood out from the reflection was a large tattoo near her ear, resembling old-fashioned earpieces used in the 21st century to communicate.

A knock came from the door, stopping Sara's checkup on the mirror. She cleared her throat as she walked up to the keypad, unlocking the door. Ryder had to hold in a breath as the door swooshed open, revealing the redheaded Scottish scientist, a datapad in her hands. Suvi was about a head shorter than Sara, a fact that endeared the woman to Ryder even more. Her eyes were a mixture of green and blue that Sara couldn't define but secretly wished to drown in them.

"Ryder," came the thick accent from Suvi.

"Hey, Suvi. Come on in; you can sit on the couch." Sara stepped aside, letting Suvi walk in. "Would you like something to drink? A coffee?"

"Yes, thank you," Suvi replied as she took a seat on the couch, activating the datapad. "You know, I've been going over the scans we got from Aya and the life found there is incredible. The angara are a spectacular race that have suffered so much, and lost so much because of the kett. Their planet suffered because of their fighting as well."

"Not to mention that the vault there is important." Sara poured coffee into two cups. "I need to hurry and gain the angara's trust in order to find the Moshae. Without her, I can't get near the vault." She sat down next to Suvi, offering a cup to Suvi.

"They have a right to be wary of aliens." Suvi accepted the cup, gently blowing air into it. "The first ones that showed up betrayed them and killed their people. I can't imagine anything like that."

"Neither can I. But at least they're giving us the benefit of the doubt."

"I'm sure Jaal will cooperate. He seems willing to help us."

"He did offer his help. I'm surprised he did, honestly." A smirk grew on Sara's lips. "And I'm surprised you haven't scanned him yet."

A blush crept up Suvi's neck. "Not for a lack of trying. It's difficult to scan someone when you're trying to not get caught."

"Dr. Anwar, are you trying to conduct illegal research using Initiative resources?" Sara teased.

"Oh, goodness, no! I was just trying to get to know the angara on a biological level to learn more about their physiology and compare them to our own functions and—"

Sara laughed, placing down her cup on the coffee table. "Suvi, don't worry. I was only joking."

The color seemed to return to the poor doctor's face as she placed a hand on her chest, letting out a sigh of relief. She chuckled, giving Ryder a small push. "You and your jokes," Suvi said lightly.

"I know." Sara grinned. "They're great, aren't they?"

Suvi simply smiled in reply. All thought escaped Sara's mind as a small gasp escaped her. Ryder had become lost as she usually did when she spoke to her Nexus liaison. Her eyes reminded her of the Citadel's lake, the small waves moving softly, enrapturing anyone that let their gaze fall toward it. Suvi's eyes were a whirlwind of water, and Sara wanted nothing more than to be sucked into it forever.

"Is something wrong?"

Suvi's voice snapped Ryder from her trance. Ryder cleared her voice, shuffling on the couch to create distance between herself and Suvi. She wanted nothing more than to tell Suvi how she felt, but the kett took priority. The Initiative and all the Milky Way races took priority. She was the only Pathfinder, and until she could locate another, the fate of the Nexus rested on Sara Ryder's shoulders. She couldn't be distracted, much as she would like to.

"It's nothing." She took the cup of coffee into her hands again, nursing it as she let her gaze fall onto the black liquid instead. "I just remembered I have to do something. I'm sorry, Suvi. Could we continue this talk later? I need to take care of some correspondence. It's from Addison and the rest of the Nexus leaders." She bit her tongue. It was all a lie, but she needed to be away from Suvi's powerful pull. Sara downed the rest of the coffee, relishing the burn it caused as it traveled down her throat. It's the least she deserved for lying to Suvi.

"Of course, Ryder. I'll be on the bridge if you need me." Flustered, Suvi stands and makes her way to the door. "See you later, Sara."

The way Sara's name rolled off Suvi's tongue sent a shiver down the Pathfinder's back. She nodded in reply, not trusting her own voice. Focusing her attention on her terminal, she didn't watch as Suvi left her quarters. When the door finally closed, Sara sighed heavily, a heavy weight encumbering her shoulders. Ryder had not expected to feel so strongly. She could usually push down anything she felt towards Suvi, but mostly because Kallo was always present when they spoke. It was the first time Suvi had come to Sara's room. Something about the privacy and closeness she had felt shifted something inside Sara.

She wanted nothing more than to sleep off everything she was feeling, but while she might've lied about Addison emailing her, there were others that required her attention. It would still be some time before they reached Voeld as well, their first stop on helping the angara fight the kett back. Sara needed to prepare herself for whatever they would encounter there.

* * *

 **AN: Andromeda, what a beautiful mess you are. Don't worry, I'm here to analyze and fix all your plot points while torturing Ryder with Suvi.**


End file.
